BBloemfontein is fairly flat and boasts excellent weather, so it’s no wonder thrill-seekers make the most of its adventure activities. Whether you’re into hiking, skydiving, water sports or 4x4 trails, there’s an itinerary for you.

Bloemfontein residents love their sport. Rugby is as popular as football, and hockey enjoys good support, while cricket lures the crowds during the summer months. However, there are many more adventurous activities to be enjoyed outside the conventional sporting disciplines.

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RRiver rafting on the Ash River near Clarens is a popular adventure option. The level three and four rapids are not dependent on rainfall and are available 365 days a year.

LLocals say that the Free State province is so flat you can see right into next week! Flat terrain in the south of the province and around Bloemfontein gives way to highlands on the Lesotho border to the east. Such ideal terrain, combined with South Africa's beautiful weather, opens up myriad opportunities for those adventurous at heart.

Kayaking on the Gariep Dam is popular, while the Vaal River is suitable for more demanding activities such as river rafting, and the Vaal Dam for jetskiingand waterskiing.

To enjoy such activities, adventurers will have to drive a couple of hours out of the city, but good roads provide quick access to most facilities. River rafting down the Ash River near Clarens or near the town of Parys is another popular activity.

On terra firma, horse trails, mountain biking, motocrossand4x4 trails are to be enjoyed in Koranna, Marquard and at the Meulspruit Dam, among other places.

IIf you plan to take to the trails on foot, hiking trails such as the Rhebok Hiking Trail in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, the Vredefort trails in the northern Free State, the Seven Dams Conservancy Trail and the Motshetshe Trail are recommended.

A more sedate option would be the Tree Route in the Free State National Botanical Garden, which features 43 indigenous tree and shrub species.

While sunny skies are almost guaranteed year-round, snow usually falls on the nearby Maluti Mountains in winter. The border areas between the Free State and Lesotho (a neighbouring country known as the “Roof of Africa”) are mountainous and popular among 4x4 enthusiasts.

Train journeys - an unforgettable experience with someone special

What can beat that feeling of going to sleep with a Karoo moon in the sky outside, and waking up to a pot of fresh coffee, surrounded by Cape vineyards as the Blue Train makes her stately way into the Mother City?